If you'd rather spend a morning with a rod, a bike or your own horse than on a towel, Amelia Island State Park handles all three from the island's southern tip. It's a little over 200 acres on Nassau Sound, open 8 a.m. to sunset every day, and the per-person entry fee goes in an honor box, so carry correct change.
Start with the fishing. The park service calls Nassau Sound one of the best fishing areas in northeast Florida, and it's where the state record flounder came from. You can surf-fish the shoreline or carry your gear onto the George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier, a mile of old bridge closed to cars, and your park entry covers it. Bait is easy to come by: mullet and shrimp can be caught with a cast net right along the beach.
This is also one of the few beaches in Florida where you can bring your own horse. Before you hitch the trailer:
- Call the ranger station at 904-251-2320, since daily capacity limits may apply.
- Unload in the upper parking lot, which has room for trailers.
- Fit a manure catch bag (Nassau County requires one) and carry proof of a negative Coggins test.
- Expect the southern point to close to horses and vehicles from March through September while shorebirds nest.
Guided beach rides don't run from the park itself. The island's riding outfitters, including Happy Trails Walking Horses, lead theirs from Peters Point farther north.
Cyclists can leave the car here and pick up the paved Timucuan Trail, which runs six miles north to Peters Point or south across the A1A bridge to the Spoonbill Pond boardwalk on Big Talbot Island. Paddlers go to PADL, the park's canoe and kayak provider, about six miles south on A1A between Little and Big Talbot. It rents boats and runs guided birding, sunset and full-moon paddles. For parking limits and shore rules, see the entry on the park's beach.